


Out From The Shadows

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Kinktober 2019 [3]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Established Relationship, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, Kissing, M/M, Semi-Public Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-27 01:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20940089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: There is always that one shadowy corner in the library that's regularly used by the students for clandestine meetups. Even Rhett and Link had stopped by once or twice for a heated makeout session between classes. But now Link was craving for something more substantial...





	Out From The Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Today's prompt was 'clothes on sex' and it was very much my intention to write that (I promise!). Instead you get this. There's barely any smut or anything kinky. But it's kinda cute. Sorry?

College was supposed to be liberation for them. They were finally away from their little town, away from all the people who knew them, away from the suffocating atmosphere. They could be together. Not that they hadn’t been together – been friends – ever since they were six years old, but over the last few years, they’d been more.  
Link had loved the sneaking around at first. It was exhilarating, a rush on top of the rush of touching Rhett in a new way. But it grew old quicker than he’d anticipated. Instead of dirty and exciting, it just felt plain dirty, and Link didn’t want anything with Rhett to feel like that.

College was supposed to be the thing that changed all that. They’d be roommates, for goodness sake!

Unfortunately, they had two other roommates as well – and walls as thin as paper. They’d managed to score the bigger room with the king-sized bed. It wasn’t that hard, honestly, since their roommates had no interest in sharing a bed. So, at least there were nightly snuggles and some heavy makeout sessions. But Rhett was jumpy and refused to let things progress beyond that in the fear that their roommates might hear them – well, might hear Link. Link always sweetly reminded Rhett that his tendency to be vocal was Rhett’s own damn fault for making him feel so good!

Link tried to talk Rhett into coming clean to their roommates. They seemed like good guys. Surely they would be fine with it. But Rhett was adamant. Again and again, he told Link that all that they would gain from that was trouble. 

They managed to get in some quickies here and there, mostly between classes when they were almost positive that the dorm would be near empty. But that hadn’t happened in a while. As in a few weeks. And Link was getting positively antsy.

They were in a library that night with their things spread out on one of the study tables; a haphazard assortment of books, notes, and hidden snacks. Rhett was crouched over a book, squinting at the text, scribbling in his notebook. Link was staring at him.

“I can see you,” Rhett said after a while, without lifting his gaze from the book.

“So? I’m just looking at my sexy boyfriend, be all smart and shit,” Link said with a lopsided grin and stretched his arms above his head before yawning loudly. It was late; the library was almost empty. Maybe they should think about heading back soon...

Rhett chuckled at him and continued writing.

Link kept staring at him. Rhett had such lovely hands; long fingers and soft palms, perfect for a lot of other – _better_ – things than writing notes. Like threading into Link’s hair when he was on his knees in front of Rhett. Or wrapping around Link’s cock and stroking him with a surety that only Rhett could have. Or grabbing onto Link’s waist when Rhett thrust into him again and again. Link’s eyes slid closed at the last thought, and he breathed deep. _One day... One day we can be us out in the open._

A foot moved under the table and knocked against Link’s. An accident for sure, Rhett was just shifting in his seat. But the foot didn’t move away, it slid up the side of Link’s shin. Link could feel Rhett’s toes pressing against his muscles as he climbed up Link’s leg. _When did he take off his shoe?_ Rhett’s foot passed Link’s knee and pressed on the inside of his thigh and inched up his leg and…

_Oh, gosh._

Link’s eyes whipped open. Rhett was still in the same position, writing with that slightly crooked handwriting of his, seemingly concentrated on the book. But Link could see the hint of a smile ghosting on his lips as his foot pressed against Link’s crotch under the table.

Link slipped lower in his seat, increasing the pressure. He felt himself swelling against Rhett’s foot. Rhett had to have felt it too because he let out a tiny sigh, followed by a faint throat sound that Link barely heard, but that made blood rush both into his head, making him faint, and down towards his already throbbing cock. He needed more sounds like that. He needed to make Rhett moan. He needed to be fucked. _Right now._

“_Rhett._” The name dropped from his lips involuntarily, pushed out by his sudden need. Rhett finally lifted his gaze, and Link saw his want mirrored in Rhett’s darkened eyes.

“Stacks?”

“Stacks.”

They got up in perfect unison. Link didn’t have time to stop and marvel at how in sync they were, but if he had, he would have felt that sickeningly sweet swoop in his stomach, he always did. Emboldened by the late hour and the silence of the library, Rhett reached for Link’s hand. Link took it eagerly despite knowing how sweaty it would be. Rhett pulled him towards the back.

There was a shadowy corner there with a couple of shelves no one ever needed anything from. It was regularly used by the students for clandestine meetups. Even Rhett and Link had stopped by once or twice to have a heated makeout session between classes when the need to be on each other’s skin had grown too much to bear. Now Link had something else in mind.

Rhett pushed him against the shelf of old periodicals and slotted their mouths together. Link took the offered kiss like a present he’d waited for all year. His arms pulled Rhett closer, every inch of their bodies touching, and he moaned into Rhett’s mouth. Rhett pulled back a little, looked at Link with hooded eyes and a crooked smile. He dodged and chuckled when Link dived for his lips. Link whined, annoyed and horny, desperate to get Rhett’s tongue into his mouth. He needed the courage Rhett’s warm breath gave him if he was going to suggest what he was thinking.

“Babe, I – I need you to…” Link whispered, words tumbling out between sharp breaths. Rhett’s palm had taken the place his foot had held moments before, and it was good. _Too good._ Link’s mind emptied; all he felt for a while was the belly-clenching pleasure Rhett’s care brought to him.

“Need me to what?” Rhett husked.

“Mmh,” Link whimpered against Rhett’s shoulder where his face had ended up after Rhett had slipped his hand inside Link’s slacks. He was so hard already, desperately fucking into Rhett’s tight fist.

“Use your words, baby.” Rhett’s whisper landed somewhere close Link’s ear.

“Need you in me. Please. It’s been too long,” Link gasped. Rhett tensed. Link immediately knew what he was thinking. It was late, and they were way off the popular area of the library, but someone could still wander here.

“I can get you off, but…” Rhett started.

“_Please_,” Link begged shamelessly. He was basically humping against Rhett’s hand, mewling against his neck.

“Link, we don’t have any lube. You don’t really want that,” Rhett said, voice edging on serious.

“I don’t care. I need you.”

“Not to totally kill the mood, but you do know that it affects me too?” Rhett said, voice growing more strained. Link’s heart ached. He knew Rhett hated saying no to him.

Rhett’s hand had slowed down to intermittent loose pumps. Link lifted his head and looked at him. Rhett was looking somewhere over Link’s head, his eyes unseeing, obviously deep in thought. Link realized he’d do it; he would fuck Link right here in the almost empty library if Link kept on begging. But it was not what he wanted.

Link gently grabbed Rhett’s chin and turned his head so that their eyes could meet. Rhett looked pained, and his mouth opened. Link’s was quicker.

“No. Don’t do that. You’re gonna say ‘okay’. I can see it in your face. Don’t do things just because I ask. There are two of us in this relationship. You have a say as well.”

Rhett closed his eyes tight and swallowed hard enough for Link to see it.

“I just… I don’t want to…” Rhett muttered with a shaky breath. His eyes flitted open, and he tried to turn his head, look past Link again, but Link wouldn’t let him.

“Don’t want to what?” Link whispered, suddenly afraid. What if Rhett said he didn’t want this anymore? Didn’t want _Link_ anymore?

“Don’t wanna lose you…” Rhett mumbled, quiet enough that at first, Link was sure he’d heard him wrong. But the pink that flushed his cheeks and the uncomfortable glance towards Link told him he had been exactly right.

Link grabbed Rhett’s hand and pulled it out of his pants. It pained him to do it, but this wasn’t a conversation he was about to have with Rhett’s hand on his dick.

“Hey, look at me. Be honest. You really think that you could do _anything_ that would make me leave?” Link asked.

Rhett shrugged, and his bottom lip disappeared between his teeth.

Link gently gathered Rhett’s face in his palms and looked him in the eye.

“I’ve known you basically my whole life. I barely have memories from the time before. You are my best friend. You are the love of my life. You are the only constant in my life that truly matters to me. Yeah, I’m horny. Look at you! Who wouldn’t wanna be pounded into the mattress by all of this?” Link paused to motion up and down Rhett’s body, making him blush and squirm. “But I would wait until we were gray, and our bones were brittle if it made you feel more comfortable. This is it, McLaughlin. You and me. Forever is just a word, but you’re it to me.”

Rhett was staring at him with the tiniest of smiles and glossy eyes. Link realized he was panting. He’d gotten so worked up trying to make sure Rhett _understood_ how he felt, he was literally breathless.

“Fuck,” Rhett muttered finally and grabbed Link’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“What?!” Link cried out as Rhett dragged him back to their desk.

“Pack up your stuff,” Rhett ordered and started throwing things into his backpack. Link stood next to the table, stunned and confused. _Did I say something wrong? Is he mad?_

“Rhett?” Link managed to get out when Rhett huffed at him and started packing his things too.

“Come on.”

Soon Rhett was dragging him through the campus, their feet pounding into the pavement; Link’s breathing was quickening as he tried to keep up with Rhett’s long strides. Link kept trying to see Rhett’s face to decipher his expression, but all he got from it was determination.

They crashed into the little common space of their dorm, hand in hand. Gregg and Tim were sitting on the couch, eating something that barely looked like food. They both jerked as the door slammed against the wall.

Link yanked on Rhett’s hand, panicked that he had forgotten they were still holding onto each other, but Rhett held on tighter and drew a deep breath before announcing in a loud voice:

“I’m gonna fuck my boyfriend now, so anyone who’d rather not hear that can get lost or put on some headphones.”

Link’s heart stopped. And picked up again in a much faster rhythm.

Their roommates glanced at each other, shrugged and reached for their headphones.

“Have fun,” Gregg said and went back to his late-night dinner. Tim waved his hand in a pleasantly encouraging way and continued eating as well.

Rhett stood still for a beat, possibly surprised by the nonchalant reactions. Link couldn’t do anything else but beam behind Rhett.

Their bedroom door shut behind them with a soft click, and Rhett threw their bags on the floor. Link was staring at him, wide-eyed and smiling from ear to ear.

“What?” Rhett asked, feigning ignorance, but Link could see his neck blushing like it always did when he was especially pleased with himself.

“I love you,” Link said slowly, emphasizing each word.

“Yeah, you made that pretty clear with your little speech. I felt like I had to make sure you knew I meant it as well.”

“Yeah?”Link murmured, heart skipping a beat, his whole body heated from the tips of his fingers to the top of his head.

“Yeah. I love you. Now get on the bed. I’m gonna make you come so hard the neighbors get jealous.”

**Author's Note:**

> All the praise for my lovely beta Mick. You are much appreciated (and loved)! <3


End file.
